No offense, but this series is very typical of today's NBA

The NBA Finals should be very exciting, but the Pistons-Lakers series is almost unwatchable because neither team has a clue when it has the ball.

TV announcers Al Michaels and Doc Rivers noted during Sunday's game that the Pistons had no offensive game. So did Detroit coach Larry Brown. During a timeout, Brown complimented his players on their defense but said, "I don't see anything happening at the other (offensive) end."

The Lakers were even worse. There was no sign of a cohesive offense, no passes to a teammate cutting to the basket, no screens to set up a good look. The Lakers couldn't even pound the ball inside to Shaquille O'Neal, though the Pistons couldn't stop Shaq even when they triple-teamed him. Shaq's 16 field goals were nearly half of the Lakers total of 33, but his 21 shots were barely more than one-quarter of their 78.

Mostly, the Lakers just passed the ball around the perimeter until one of them, usually Kobe Bryant, put up a wild shot.

Fast break? Forget it. It's hard to remember that the Lakers, with Magic Johnson running the show, once were known as "Showtime."

These Finals are no aberration. The NBA has been setting records for low scores in the 24-second era all season. The Lakers got only 68 points in their Game 3 loss.

What's happening? Part of it is the emphasis on defense by the coaches, but a bigger problem is that there is only an occasional lights-out shooter like Richard Hamilton. About four years ago, after he'd coached a high school all-star team on a tour, Mike Montgomery told me he was appalled by the poor shooting on the team. Those are the players who are in the NBA now.

High schoolers watch the TV highlights and all they see are dunks and 3- point shots, so that's all they practice. When the 3-point line is moved back in the pros, they no longer have the range to hit it.

There may be more outstanding athletes in the NBA than there ever have been. Too bad they can't play basketball.

Around the horn: The American League has a 47-25 lead after the first round of interleague games, but the results could be quite different with the switch to NL parks, where there will be no designated hitter. The A's, for instance, will have to bench either Scott Hatteberg or Erubiel Durazo. It should be Durazo. Hatteberg's no Gold Glover, but watching Durazo playing first base is like watching an elephant try to tap dance. ... Three weeks ago, the rumor-mongers had the Mets firing Art Howe and getting Lou Piniella out of his contract in Tampa Bay. It still could happen. The NL East has no standout team, and the Mets could win it with a hard-driving manager like Piniella. They won't win it with Howe and his caretaker style.

Giants moves: The Giants certainly made the right move in passing on Sidney Ponson. They should have passed on Brett Tomko, too. Before he went on the disabled list, Tomko was dueling with Kirk Rueter for the dubious distinction of worst Giants starter. Tomko is signed only for one year, but the Giants are stuck with Rueter for another year, unless they can trade him to the Cardinals. Rueter has to approve any trade, and he might want to go to St. Louis, which is near his Illinois home. The Cardinals could give him the run support he's always needed to win.

Swingin' A's: Mark Kotsay has played a great defensive centerfield for the A's, and now that he's hitting, A's fans who had criticized the trade of Ramon Hernandez have quieted down. Actually, A's GM Billy Beane was following the Branch Rickey/Bill Walsh model by trading Hernandez after he had a career year. Damian Miller is playing at least as well.

Book bag: Veteran sportswriter/cartoonist Murray Olderman has written a fascinating memoir, "Mingling With Lions," about the many legendary sports figures he has known. His section on Al Davis is especially insightful. Olderman denies, though, that he's a Davis confidant. "Al has never confided in anybody -- unless it suited his purpose," Olderman writes. ... Dick Crouser's "Baseball's Best Barbs, Banter and Bluster" is literary popcorn: Once you start, you can't stop reading. My favorite comes from the 1954 World Series, when Giants manager Leo Durocher brought in left-handed reliever Don Liddle to pitch to Vic Wertz. Liddle threw one pitch, which Wertz blasted almost to the fence in center field before Willie Mays ran it down for the most famous catch in Series history. Liddle was replaced immediately. As he came into the dugout, he said, "Well, I got my guy."